What is TQU all about?

We are TQU, the Transnational Queer Underground.

Transnational as in creating a network and establishing links beyond borders. Taking global responsibility. Empowering people everywhere to let their voices be heard. Because we’re only as strong as we are together.

Queer as in fighting for the right for everyone to live the life they desire without facing discrimination.

Underground as in the place where the best ideas and practices are born. It’s where we empower ourselves. This is where we are secretly working on creating the future that we want to live in.

As a legal charitable entity TQU works in the fields of promoting education and arts and culture – the target group being members of the LGBTIQ community worldwide.

We are creating an app that can be used as a safe networking tool for the LGBTIQ community worldwide without facing persecution or having to reveal their full identity. This will be a hub for communication, exchange and job opportunities. We need your donation to make this a reality.

We will be organizing and conducting regular networking and exchange meetings for the queer community in order to build stronger networks of mutual support and to realize social tasks together. More on that to come soon.

We set up individual events such as exhibitions, concerts, readings or other public actions to increase the visibility of queer people. See #TheGalleryProject for our current events.

We have publications on topics that are relevant to the LGBTIQ community. Please visit OUR_STORY for current opportunities and to read lots of amazing stories, poems and more.

TQU's legal status

We’re here to support the global LGBTIQ community. Transnational Queer Underground e.V.i.G. is in the process of being registered as charity/non-profit organization in Germany (e.V. = eingetragener Verein, gemeinnützig). You can become a full member of Transnational Queer Underground e.V. – please see the membership section below for details.

You can read our statute here in German. We will post an English version very soon.

We’ve been thinking long and hard about this. While Social Businesses can do amazing work – we decided that we want to go another way. Why?

We believe in the community and that people are interested in creating the change that they want to see in the world. If you decide to support our work with your money, as a one time donation or as a member, you will be able to deduct it from your taxes, therefore you won’t lose money but instead of paying it to the government you relocate it to a cause that you care about. You’re taking charge.

You decide. We want to work for the community from within the community. All members will be invited to join our yearly meetings (online) in November to help set the agenda for the following year. We will open a message board before, so that even if you can’t attend the meeting, your voice will be heard and your ideas discussed. But: you are not obliged to do any of these things. It’s up to you.

We take global responsibility and you can do the same. With the PROPSLIST app you can hire LGBTIQ people worldwide to do jobs that you need done. We will be focusing on the creative sector for a start, but hoping to expand quickly.

Money will be redistributed to the community. Once donations and membership fees cover the running costs, we will give out scholarships. Starting with stipends for creative collaborations, with a growing network we want to make sure that we will also be able to reach those in need of support to secure their livelihood. For a self-determined life for everyone.

Please consider making a donation for TQU. So that we can keep working for you.

TQU has an Open-book Policy

We believe that transparency is key. If you want to see our books you may. Just send us an email and we will send you a link. In doing so, we hope to inspire other organizations to do the same.

By laying open our organizational structure and spending we also want to make it easier for those with similar ideas to start their own project.

A little bit of History

The Transnational Queer Underground or TQU emerged as a reference to the “international pop underground”, a convention initiated by Calvin Johnston (K Records/Portland/USA) in 1991 to take a stand against the sell-out of the music industry, which also laid the foundation for the riot grrrl movement. In 2009 Verena was doing a lot of research on issues related to queer music for an article she was writing at that time and thought that the information she collected might be useful to some other people as well. This is how TQU started as a website.

TQU is also aware that it can be dangerous to reveal your identity in some places and that there is censorship and oppression in many parts of the world, so that not everybody can speak and write freely. Your name and location won’t be published if you don’t want it to be.

The history of queers, especially queer POCs, has been widely neglected in the past and is still underrepresented in the present. This is a small attempt towards changing that.

Let’s show our complexity, variety, creativity and powers.

TQU IS FOR YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE WE KNOW.

disclaimer: TQU is here to challenge racism, sexism, classism and all other forms of oppression. In order to join you should have acknowledged that these things exist and that they kill people. Especially if you’re white and/or cis: be respectful, be kind and be willing to learn.

challenging heteronormativity
– connecting the queer world.

Discover groups, organizations, art, stories, music,
films and BECOME A PART OF OUR NETWORK.

Transnational as in creating a network and establishing links beyond borders. Taking global responsibility. Empowering people everywhere to let their voices be heard. Because we’re only as strong as we are together.

Queer as in fighting for the right for everyone to live the life they desire without facing discrimination.

Underground as in the place where the best ideas and practices are born. It’s where we empower ourselves. This is where we are secretly working on creating the future that we want to live in.What we do

Join TQU's Star Club

And become a part of this amazing community. We are here to promote your work and your ideas and to make your voice stronger, because you matter a lot to us.

Start collaborating with other like-minded people. Become part of a global network that truly supports and carries each other. We don’t want to spend another day without getting to know you.